Since February 2017, Dr. Anto Ingrassia has been part of the CYPHP team as the Mental Health and Education and Training Lead. We are glad to announce that Dr Ingrassia has joined CYPHP in a full-time capacity by also taking on a role as the CYPHP Senior clinical lead. We asked Anto to introduce herself and tell us more about her vision for the role and for the CYPHP programme.
Tell us a little about you.
I am a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and I joined the Children & Young People’s Health Partnership (CYPHP) in February 2017.
I came to CYPHP from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, where I worked for about 11 years with Greenwich CAMHS, in a specialist multi-disciplinary team for children up to the age of 18 who are adopted, on Special Guardianship Orders or in kinship care, in the care of the local authority or at the edge of care, (including children on Child Protection and Child in Need plans). I was also the Trust's Director of Medical Education, overseeing the training arrangements for all doctors in training employed by the Trust, as well as the continuing professional needs of their supervisors.
I have worked in the NHS for more than 20 years; I have gained experience in the assessment and treatment of mental health problems both in inpatient settings and in the community. I initially worked with adults and then with children and families through specialist training in child and adolescent psychiatry. My additional training as a Systemic Psychotherapist has helped me develop the ability to work within complex systems, communicate effectively with a range of partners and work creatively with difference.
How do you see the role?
I am committed to the delivery of effective mental health services for children and families, particularly to increasing access for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. I see the extension of my role within CYPHP as an incredible opportunity to do just that.
As the clinical lead for mental health I have supported the development of CYPHP's ‘Mind, body and context’ approach to child health, which focuses on the importance of thinking about children's health in its broadest definition. This includes considering the individual’s emotional wellbeing and mental health, as well as having an awareness of the impact of contextual factors such as parental mental health, economic wellbeing, community safety, and so forth.
Good examples of this approach are:
- CYPHP's Health Check: A screening tool that addresses physical symptoms, mental health concerns, and contextual factors for children/families affected by a child’s asthma, constipation, eczema, and/or epilepsy.
- CYPHP's Health Support Packs: Comprehensive self-management resources for children and families, uniquely including, alongside traditional material on the child's condition, information about the impact on children’s mental health, parental wellbeing and signposting to community resources .
What is your hope for the CYPHP programme?
It is my hope that through this comprehensive programme many more families will be able to access the advice, support, and interventions they need to support their children's healthy and happy development.